The Ceremony of Passing by WL Wilmshurst PM PAGDC (England) PPGW (West Yorks).pdf

The Ceremony of Passing.

W. L. WILMSHURST, P.M.

P.A.G.D.C. (England) P.P.G.W. (West Yorks.)

PRIVATELY PRINTED

1933

This Paper forms one of the series of Lodge Papers prepared for

the use of members of the Lodge of Living Stones but this one

and a previous one on "The Ceremony of Initiation," is available

to Brethren of other Lodges. Copies of either Paper may be had

from the Firm mentioned on the title page at 5/- each, postage

extra. Brethren are requested to bring them to the notice of

others who are looking for explanations of the Ceremonies.

Other works by the Author of this Paper and bearing upon it

are:

THE MEANING OF MASONRY

THE MASONIC INITIATION

THE CEREMONY OF INITIATION, - Analysis and

Commentary

CONTEMPLATIONS

PARSIFAL

All the above obtainable from the Firm mentioned on the title

page to this paper or through any Bookseller.

THE CEREMONY OF PASSING

INTRODUCTORY

We are now to examine a Ceremony which, because it is less

dramatic and spectacular than that of the First Degree, is often

regarded as a somewhat colourless interlude between the

impressive surprises of the one which precedes and the

awesome grandeur of the one which follows it.

This feeling it is desirable to remove, as unjustified. If the

introduction of a Candidate to the elementary knowledge of

Masonic principles, represented by the First Degree, has meant

much to him, his advancement to a higher grade of the Craft

should surely mean much more, not less, both to him and to

ourselves ; whilst the Ceremony which sacramentally signifies

that advancement should, as surely, be one of greater value

and purport than its predecessor. If we fail to recognise this,

had we not better inquire whether the fault lies rather in our

own lack of perception than in the Ceremony? Do we ourselves

possess the insight requisite for the understanding of a

Ceremony which claims to mark a much higher degree of

progress in the work of making a Mason and assisting him to a

much more advanced level of spiritual attainment than he has

yet known?

So our present study is made in the hope of revealing some of

the Ceremony's usually undiscerned and extremely valuable

contents, and with the view of securing greater interest in it

than it usually receives. Being a "veil of allegory" the Ceremony

must not only be looked at but looked through, if its

significance is to be realised. Merely to look at it and treat it as

a formality is like looking at a closed box containing valuables,

and ignoring the contents.

Before the Grand Lodge formation in 1717 the Ceremony in its

present form and as a distinct rite did not exist, and its com-

pilation belongs to that confused and nebulous transitional

period during which the ancient principles of our mystical

science were reduced to our present tri-graclal system. This

purely historical question may be left to the historians and

archaeologists, our present purpose being solely interpretative.

There is no doubt, however, that the Ritual now in common

use (with local variations) suffers from cuts and

misunderstandings of the 18th century compilers and contains

errors of statement since made by not too well informed or

educated Brethren and still perpetuated by those who are too

conservative to sanction any correction. It is also the fact that

at one time and in some Lodges the work now forming the

Mark Mason Degree constituted part of the Second Degree, as

it still does in Scotland, being a side branch or annexe to it,

much as the Royal Arch Degree is an extension of the Third

Degree. By the Act of Union between the two Grand Lodges of

English Masons in 1813 it was solemnly declared that "pure

Antient Masonry" consisted of our present three Craft Degrees,

including the Royal Arch, and no more, the Mark work being

thus eliminated by consent of both sections of Masons. In 1856

an attempt was made to restore it into the Craft Degrees but

was ruled out by Grand Lodge upon the ground that to do so

would infringe the express terms of the Act of Union and the

constitutions which every Master of a Lodge is pledged to

observe. The Mark work therefore became side-tracked under a

separate constitution of its own and is available to any Brother

who desires to acquire it. The merits of the Mark Degree are so

high that the regret of many Brethren at its disassociation from

our Second Degree is not surprising. Moreover, it contains the

dramatic and spectacular elements which are lacking in the

latter Degree, for which also much can justifiably be urged. The

matter of its inclusion or exclusion in the Second Degree

having, however, been definitely settled since 1856, it is

useless now to pursue the arguments for and against any

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